The Old Folks Home

[microchick]

And isn't that a sad state of affairs @Peep_Show? Used to be you could do just that and folks would respect one another's POV and right to think the way they want to. Vastly different world out there now.

While we wish we had retired farther south in the state, we are very happy here in MO. Our annual snow is less than half of what it was in IL. Yes, summers are hotter and longer than in IL and it can be dry enough to turn the clay to brick in record time but there are always trade offs in any relocation.

The people are friendly here and made us feel welcomed from our first day. No regrets although every time the temp goes down to the single digits and there is a foot of snow on the ground we hit ourselves over the head for selling property in Florida. Still there are hurricanes and crime there so once again, trade offs.

 

[CapricornFarm]

AHA...I began searching for optimum heights for my hot wire to keep predators out. I do have the heights adjusted correctly, however, there is no one-size-fits all, when it comes to height. A regular sized raccoon should be stopped at a height of 8-9 inches from the ground, but an overly large one, may be able to easily get over it. Moving the wire high enough to stop the one larger raccoon, can result in it being ineffective on the normal sized ones. (Yes, I have 2 strands, one is about 3.5 inches from the ground, the other is 9 inches from the ground) So what to do?

Baiting. The instructions that came with my fencer, about baiting, were for keeping horses, and cows in, so I didn't pay much attention to it. After doing some research, it's also the best option for teaching predators to stay out. Tomorrow I will be making a few small tinfoil "cups/open pouches", and putting some cat food (small pieces of hot dog work too) in them, then wrapping the top onto the fence wire, to hold them. The bait attracts the predators, and ensures their efforts are focused where they will get jolted. That way you don't have to keep adjusting the fence height. One person said they did this for about 10 days. At first, they had to replace the bait every evening, and it would be gone by morning. By the end of 10 days, they were having to empty the bait, because nothing was touching it. I have a plan now.

You could always run a third wire.

 

[getaclue]

You could always run a third wire.

That was discussed, and we will. The reason we did not run 3 strands already, is that we bought the last package of rod insulators the feed store had. We bought the rods, but we've since decided that, for the corner posts, we want to put in fence posts. The rods will work fine for the centers, but the corners really need to be more solid, and stable. We may still decide to put in fence posts for the whole thing, which is what I had planned on to begin with. I have all the insulators, if we decide to do that.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning old folks... That is why we moved here small town accepted by all here
no crime people do not lock their house .. Milder weather events .. No natural disaster to be had .. With that said if the big quake 10 richter scale we might be cut off from major towns

 

[Alaskan]

re: Texas
Yep, it's getting flooded with Californians. Apple put in a campus in Austin, so now the corridor between San Antonio and Austin (and areas surrounding Austin) are getting infilled with housing tracts and gated communities. Dallas has expanded into near Los Angeles size.

The lack of State income tax is quite attractive, but the property taxes are about 3X higher for the same price of real estate as I'm paying now. Doing research, it appears they need vast improvement in healthcare (which, as oldsters, is a big concern.) Plus crime is higher than in most other states.

Any move will have to be predicated on what is discovered on field trips out yonder. I'm kind of happy staying where I am for the moment, though. Our quiet village has a real sense of community and I've got friends here, plus I love growing my food. It's a safe and comfortable place, provided you don't express a political opinion.

Property tax varies greatly in Texas depending on where you are.

The same with crime.

Gardening there is fantastic, pretty much anywhere you are in the state.

I prefer the tiny towns that are away from the huge centers, but it is interesting about the crime rates.

I was looking over a crime map of Texas just last week or so. There are a few pretty empty counties, far away from the border, that have pretty high crime rates, right up against one that doesn't. It makes me wonder about how the data is collected, and how accurate it is.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thought you guys might like to see this!! Nifty and Sumi met up and it brought a huge smile to my face.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...is-health-recovery-fund.1335205/post-22216636

 

[ronott1]

Property tax varies greatly in Texas depending on where you are.

The same with crime.

Gardening there is fantastic, pretty much anywhere you are in the state.

I prefer the tiny towns that are away from the huge centers, but it is interesting about the crime rates.

I was looking over a crime map of Texas just last week or so. There are a few pretty empty counties, far away from the border, that have pretty high crime rates, right up against one that doesn't. It makes me wonder about how the data is collected, and how accurate it is.

California has Prop 13 so if I were to move within the state to a house of the same value, I would have to pay 3 times or so the property tax-- Somewhere in the $10,000.00 per year range. That is one reason why many leave california at retirement.

Property tax is low for us because of the original purchase price back in 1999 when we bought the house

 

[pennyJo1960]

Senior citizens get lower rate here in Lewis county .. that is also why so many from California folks have moved here

 

[bruceha2000]

Will probably bite the bullet and put in a newer unit (basic and non-frills) and hype new boiler as a selling point.

I'm sure it would be! One less thing for a potential buyer to deal with and good for a couple of decades at least. Have you possibly considered heat pumps to replace the boiler? They are better in some house layouts than others.

Nice!

86°F is too hot in August let alone February!!!

Dallas has expanded into near Los Angeles size.

Not quite, L.A. is 3X the size of Dallas. I wouldn't want to live near either of them. Of course I know more about So. Cal than TX since I grew up 10 miles south of L.A.. Still have relatives (actually everyone I'm related to other than my girls, wife and her family) there. Going in a month for a niece's wedding. I really don't like all that population.

but the property taxes are about 3X higher for the same price of real estate as I'm paying now.

As @Alaskan said, from what I've read on another forum the property taxes can be pretty cheap in TX. WAY cheaper than anywhere in Vermont. People talk about paying 'X' there and it is less than the payment I make 3 times a year.

 

[Beer can]

How the heck do you find threads you post on now with this new forum?